Not Your Average Dhampir
by forevercanbesevered
Summary: Matthew Zeklos was exiled from Moroi society for conducting illegal experiments. He achieved his ultimate goal in creating the ideal Dhampir, Brooklyn. She can do all 5 forms of Moroi magic. When her father turned Strigoi, he burned and she ran. After four years of living with an unsuspecting family of humans, her adoptive-brother is murdered and she is determined to avenge him.
1. Prologue

I stepped out into the back alley of a dive bar and took a shaky breath. _What the hell am I doing?_ No one was around, because honestly who would go into a back alley in South Central Los Angeles unless they had a death wish. Well I didn't have anyone to be afraid of. I was virtually unstoppable, and yet...

It had been 3 months, 1 week, 2 days and 18 hours since the death of my older brother and I was still no closer to finding his killer than I had been when I set out on this mission. Even when I discovered that he had been murdered I didn't cry. The past four and a half years I had to learn to be strong on my own, I couldn't afford to show any weakness. But in that moment, with no one around I felt like there was no strength left in my body and I leaned against the wall and cried.

I don't know how much time passed until the sobbing stopped and I only had a few tears rolling down my cheeks but suddenly I heard the door open. I turned my head and quickly wiped away any evidence of tears. I heard the click of a lighter and suddenly the smell of clove cigarettes overwhelmed me. Frustrated I turned around.

"Do you have to do that here?"

The man made a smoke ring and then faced me. My heart stopped. He was tall, about 6 feet if I had to make a guess. He had deep green eyes that sparkled like emeralds with amusement. He had stylishly messy hair that was dark brown. He resembled a Calvin Klein model, except with clothes on. He was painstakingly gorgeous, but that wasn't what made my blood run cold. I knew who he was, and he was the last person I wanted to see.

"Sorry, love. I thought I was the only one out here."

Bullshit. He had perfect vision, even in this dark alley. "I-it's fine."

I stuttered. What the hell? If there is one thing that everyone knows about Brooklyn Evans it is that I do not stutter. Ever. Pull yourself together woman. It is like you have never seen an attractive man before.

"You were crying." He stated quite simply. It wasn't a question and there might have been concern on his face but I wasn't buying it.

"So what if I was? That's none of your damn business."

He laughed and my stomach fluttered. "Feisty. I like that." He walked closer to where I was standing and leaned against the wall next to me. He took a drag on the cigarette. After exhaling, in my face I might add, he said. "So what brings you to a back alley at a quarter to midnight? Did your boyfriend break up with you?" He made a mock pouty face.

The fluttering stopped. I smelled alcohol on his breath, but that was no excuse. "Actually no. He tried to and I kicked his pathetic ass. Then I broke up with him. I was crying because I broke a nail."

He laughed again. "No boyfriend? Who will protect you from evil creatures of the night?" He smirked.

And those were the last words Adrian Ivashkov said before I broke his perfect nose.


	2. Chapter 1: Life on the Road

" Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" I yell as I walk through the joint door in our hotel suite. A girl made a muffled sound and sat up in bed. She was completely nude and her jet black hair looked like a rat's nest. Other than that she was gorgeous, naturally. She was moroi after all. I rolled my eyes. "Not you, Maleficent."

The girl patted down her hair and scowled at me. At that moment Adrian decided to join us. He was cleanshaven and for once, didn't smell like alcohol or cigarettes. "Come on, Brooke. No need to take out your morning grumpiness on my dear friend Blair."

"My name is Claire," She said with indignation.

"No one cares," I spat at her. I looked at Adrian. "Are you ready, or what? We have been here far too long and I don't really have time for your romantic escapades."

"Of course. All packed and ready to go. Before you even got up, I might add."

"You probably didn't even sleep, did you?" His smirk was all the answer I needed. I tossed him the car keys. "Well that's going to really suck for you, because you're driving."

He headed towards the door and I cleared my throat. "What about your lady friend?"

"Oh. Right. Claire, my band manager insists we get back on the road. Busy days ahead of us. But once I come back around you will be the first person I see." He winked.

"Oh, Jet. Do hurry back! I'll miss you ever so much." She smiled delightfully, but the look was ruined by the exposure of her fangs, which were covered in blood.

I rolled my eyes again. For some reason Adrian gave everyone the false name of Jet Steele, because he thought it made him more interesting. "The chicks dig a name like that too."

I held both of our small duffle bags as we went outside. He tossed the keys to his other hand. "I'll go bring the car."

"Do hurry back! I'll miss you ever so much!" I said mockingly. He gave me one of his rare, genuine laughs and turned toward the parking lot.

About 30 minutes later we hit the highway. Driving with Adrian wasn't so bad once you got used to it. At first it was overly obnoxious because he felt the need to fill every moment of silence with some witty quip or a tale of something he had once done. But at least he never forced me to talk. Well at least not since the first day when I told him to stop asking ridiculous questions unless he wanted me to break his nose again.

Most of the time I zoned out but then, for the first time in nearly a month Adrian had something useful to say, "-then the Strigoi just caught on fire and pulled away from me."

"Wait, what?"

"I know, I was as amazed as you are. Here I was, surely dying when-"

"No, wait. You've met a Strigoi?"

He looked over at me. "You haven't been listening to my story at all have you?"

I just stared at him in shock. "You've met one."

"No one ever just 'meets' a Strigoi, Brooke. You really weren't listening to my story?" He looked a little wounded.

"Adrian, you never stop talking. How the hell am I supposed to know when you are saying something important?"

"Everything I say is important." He said with a smirk.

"Whatever. Just tell me more about the Strigoi. You know one, the guy who caught on fire."

"I knew them. The two bitches are dead now, thankfully. Otherwise I wouldn't be here to drive you... where are we going again?"

"Doesn't matter." I say with a wave of my hand. "Where were you when this happened? Who killed them?"

"A guardian." Adrian gives me a puzzled look. "Brooke-"

"Could there have been more than two? Were they in some sort of cult or gathering? Where did this happen, Adrian?"

"Brooke, you are acting like a crazy person."

"It takes one to know one." He just continues to flick his eyes back from the road to me. "I just need to know what happened."

"Is this some sort of vigilante mission? Are you trying to prove something by hunting Strigoi? I knew a girl who did that, things went very badly for her."

"I'm not Rose Hathaway." I say automatically. I stop breathing. I slipped up. I had deluded Adrian into thinking I'm just a girl looking for her family. I don't give him other details and he doesn't ask.

He very carefully says, "What do you know about Guardian Hathaway?"

I laugh. "Guardian Hathaway? Is that what you called her in the sack too?"

Adrian slams on the brakes and they squeak beneath us. I let out a little shriek as I fly forward. I wasn't wearing a seatbelt and my head bangs hard against the dashboard. I feel blood trickle down my forehead. "Fuck. Adrian. What the hell?"

He moves the car to the side of the road and turns the ignition. I stare at him incredulously as he glares at the steering wheel. Then he slams his hands down on top of it and I flinch as he shifts his glare to me. "Alright cut the crap, Brooke. What do you know?"

"I know that you are clearly an awful driver." I gently touch the bump on my head and my fingers come away slick with blood. "Ow."

"You claimed to be some poor dhampir girl secluded from society just trying to find her family. I was willing to help, mostly out of boredom. But that was all clearly a boldfaced lie." He sighed and opened the car door. "I need a cigarette."

I join him on the side of the road. The sun is setting so it won't bother Adrian standing in it for an extended period of time. He has already lit up and I'm just leaning against the car. He exhales a puff of smoke and puts his hand to my forehead. I flinch away. "I'll heal it for you. I'm assuming you know that I can do that, too."

I step back quickly. "No. No, don't. It will heal on it's own."

He raises an eyebrow. "It's really no big deal."

"If it isn't a big deal then it will be fine on its own. I just need a bandaid."

"You need more than a bandaid, Brooke. That's going to need stitches."

I almost laugh. No it won't, it will be completely healed by the time the sun comes back up. But I can't blow my cover more than I already have so I reluctantly walk back over to him. He places his hand over the cut and the warm and cold from his hand travels throughout my body. I try to stop myself from moving closer to him. It's just the spirit drawing me to him now. Once he's done his hand drops at the exact instant as I move backwards. Then I state simply, "I just want to find the Strigoi who murdered my brother."

"That's a suicide mission." I just shrug my shoulders and he sighs. "Then what the hell was I here for?"

"Pretty face." I say with a laugh.

He rolls his eyes and then matches his gaze evenly with mine. In a melodic voice he says, "Tell me what you are really up to and why you dragged me along."

That son of a bitch is trying to use compulsion on me. "I'm just making up excuses to be with you, because I am in love with you. From the moment your disgusting alcohol breath blew cigarette smoke in my face, I just couldn't get enough."

He blinks. "What?"

I laugh. "I thought spirit users were supposed to be good at compulsion, Lord Ivashkov. You've really let me down."

"You resisted it." He says unbelieving.

"You shouldn't compel people. It's rude."

"I wouldn't have to compel you if you'd just tell me the truth!" He said exasperated.

"Fine. You want the truth? You're bait. Strigoi can't resist a tasty moroi, especially a royal, that's why I have you drive me around until we find a place sketchy enough that Strigoi lurk. I wasted 3 months trying to find one on my own, and then you came along."

"Wait, you're using me as bait? You want some strigoi to kill me just so you can find the one who killed your brother. Brooke, you aren't even a guardian! You'll get us both killed."

"No I won't." I said confidently.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?"

I smile a little. "Of course, I do."

He glares at me. "So now what?"

I smile genuinely at him as spirit floods my body. "Now you get in the car and drive while telling me everything you know about strigoi."


	3. Chapter 2: The Bed and Breakfast

It was ironic that I had chastised Adrian for trying to compel me when I did it to him on a regular bases. Maybe I should feel guilty about it, but I was a survivor and that was an asset I needed to survive. It turned out Adrian knew a lot about Strigoi, more than I ever knew. For example, I was doing it all wrong. We'd left Los Angeles after the first night and had traveled all around California, but of course being in a place as warm as California in the summer meant that Strigoi weren't going to be lurking around as frequently as I thought. But I didn't really have the time or willpower to go somewhere else.

So apparently Los Angeles was the answer. Also, I couldn't be actively seeking them out, they'd know. Even though it was apparent that I wasn't your average Dhampir, they would still be suspicious. Finally, Adrian stopped talking.

"Alright. Let's go to L.A. then." I announced.

Adrian looked over at me for a moment, confusion clear on his face. "Why did I just tell you all of that?"

"Because I asked you to." I stated simply. I pulled down the visor and slid open the mirror. My roots were beginning to show in my deep violet hair, I'd have to re-dye it soon. I dug through my purse and reapplied my lip gloss. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. If my brother could see me now. Between the purple hair, multiple facial piercings, and the new tattoos that wound across my entire body, his baby sister was unrecognizable.

Adrian nodded as if that were a completely acceptable answer. Which of course, thanks to compulsion, it was. We entered the city limits just as the sun was coming up. "We should stop. There is a motel off of that exit."

Adrian made a face. "Seriously? Aren't we a little higher class than that?"

I roll my eyes. It's the same thing every time I suggest a place other than a five star hotel. "Maybe for you, Lord Ivashkov. But, I don't have the money to always satisfy your tastes."

Actually, I did. Unlike Adrian, I didn't have an allowance. I had a very large trust fund that I'd been tapping into along this venture. But he didn't need to know that.

He drove right past the exit for the motel. "Adrian!"

"Calm down. I just want to find something a little nicer. I'll even pay for it this time."

I slouched in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest to avoid punching him. Soon enough we were in the parking lot of a quaint bed and breakfast. "You're kidding me, right?"

Adrian smirked. "Something wrong, Brooke?"

I opened the car door and got out. "Fine. Let's just go."

Adrian lead the way through the door and held it open for me. I rolled my eyes. "Always the gentlemen." I muttered under my breath.

"Of course." He must have missed my sarcasm, or was simply choosing to ignore it.

An elderly woman was sitting at the desk and clearly surprised to see us. I walked up to the desk and said rather brusquely. "We need a room."

She eyed me disapprovingly. People always did. I got used to it. She replied crisply. "Check in isn't until 9."

I eyed the clock. It was about 3am. I looked at Adrian. "Well I guess it's back to the motel."

I turned on my heel to leave, but Adrian grabbed my wrist. I yanked away violently but stopped heading for the door. Adrian said sweetly, "You'll have to forgive her. We drove straight through the night and she didn't get any sleep, is there anyway you could find us a room. We will pay for two nights if that's necessary."

She smiled at Adrian. He probably didn't need to use any compulsion on her but I could feel little trickles of it flowing from his body. "Yes, of course dear."

Just like that, we had adjoining rooms on the second floor. It was nice, and tastefully decorated. Much nicer than a motel would have been, but I'd never let Adrian know that. I sighed as I went into the bathroom to check my reflection. Bright blue eyes shone back at me, but that was the only remnants of the girl my brother knew or the girl my father knew. Now, I didn't know who I was. Does appearance really change a person?

I took off my leather jacket and threw it out the open bathroom door. That's when I noticed the blood stain on my white shirt from when Adrian made me hit my head on the dashboard. I groaned in frustration and took my shirt off as well. I washed it in the sink and scrubbed it with soap, but at this point, it was much too late for that. The shirt was stained. I threw it in the trash and went back into the bedroom. I decided to peer through the drapes. The sun was rising over the horizon. I missed the sun and was tired of being surrounded by darkness.

"Wings. How original."

I jumped and the curtain fell from my hand. I whirled around and Adrian was standing less than a foot away from me. I backed up, but of course there was no where further to go. "What?"

"Your tattoo on your back. Angel wings, seriously? You know that doesn't make you angelic. Although those were some interesting designs." He touched my shoulder and tried to make me turn around.

I shrugged him off. Sharply I said. "What are you doing in here?"

He smiled. "I want to ask you a couple of questions."

"Okay." I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I was standing in front of Adrian Ivashkov in only a bra. Unfortunately he was in the direct path to my duffle bag and I wasn't going to push past him. So I just shifted my stance to appear more impassive.

"How did you resist my compulsion?"

I shrugged. "Maybe you weren't trying hard enough. Or maybe I just have a strong resistance to it."

He smiled a little and shook his head. "It didn't even phase you. People who attempt to resist it at least show some signs, but it was as if I didn't put any spirit behind it at all. I was just talking to you."

I shrugged again. He sighed and asked a new question. "How did _you _compel _me_?"

Woah. I did not see that one coming. I studied him carefully. Had he resisted my compulsion? No. That wasn't it. I left a hole somewhere. Shit.

"You didn't compel me to forget about being your bait. Why would I be following you around and helping you of my own free will?"

I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled sweetly. "Because you're a sucker for pretty girls."

Then he slammed me into the wall. "What are you?"

He caught me by surprise and that was the only reason he was able to pin me to the wall for, oh, ten seconds. Then in an instant, air rushed through the room and he went flying off of me and slammed into the bed. He was dazed and I took even steps towards him. I knelt over him on the bed and pushed him down with my hand on his chest. But he already wasn't going anywhere. Through gritted teeth I said, "I am someone who is much, much stronger than you and if you _ever_ try to threaten me again, I might just let my little bait die at the hands of the Strigoi I am trying to capture. Got it, Lord Ivashkov?"

He just stared at me with wide eyes and I took my hand off his chest and rolled off the bed. I steadily walked to the bathroom and stared at my reflection again, waiting for Adrian to leave my room. The same blue eyes were looking back at me. They were the same, always and forever the same. A reminder of who I was and the rest was a reminder of who I had to be.

"Why do you stare at your reflection so much?"

I jumped again. I turned to Adrian, standing in the doorway. "Are you a fucking idiot? Do I need to compel you to go away?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

I wasn't sure which question he was answering but decided I didn't care. I looked back at the mirror waiting for him to give up and leave. Adrian had a short attention span. Another face flashed through my mind. Bronze curls flowing down my back and framing my face. Smooth, perfect skin with only the slightest bit of makeup meant to enhance my features. The look of pure innocence. Then a second face. Only slightly different than the first. Older and with an emptiness in her eyes that only came with facing unbearable pain. Cherry red lips now and longer eyelashes. But not as different as the face that was staring back at me now. Heavy with eye makeup and all the beauty and innocence hidden behind this mask of indifference. Or maybe the innocence in me didn't exist anymore. I noticed Adrian standing behind me in the mirror, studying me.

"What are you looking for in your reflection? What do you hope to see?" He asked.

"You leaving preferably. Can't you go find some moroi girl to bother? I'm tired."

He finally headed for the door back to his room then he stopped. "You're beautiful. You do know that, right?"

I let out a harsh laugh refusing to let him or myself know how it made me feel to hear him say that. "Goodnight, Adrian."


	4. Chapter 3: Escape

After being unable to fall asleep for about three hours I went and got some breakfast from downstairs. Thankfully, the older woman at the desk was no where to be seen so I didn't have to deal with her again. I grabbed a muffin and sat at an empty table in the corner as I surveyed the room. There was a couple holding hands and whispering to each other. She gently kissed him on the cheek. Ugh. Gross. Public displays of affection were not my thing. The rest of the guests were middle-aged or older. All were human, except…

In the opposite corner sat two guardians, I was certain that they were guardians from their posture but since there were no moroi in sight, they must have been off duty. As I studied them the woman flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder and the man smiled. Then he stood up and my jaw dropped.

I had done a fair amount of research on the happenings of moroi culture, which wasn't so difficult when I was a dhampir myself. This man's description was identical to Dimitri Belikov. The research seemed to leave out his attractiveness. I mean he wasn't Adrian hot, but he definitely was ruggedly handsome. He saw me studying him and began to walk over to my table. With a faint russian accent he said, "I couldn't help but notice you glancing over at us. Is there something I can help you with?"

Shit. I looked him levelly in the eyes as spirit flowed through my body. "Yes, actually. I need you to forget what I looked like. I am just a blood whore who was hoping you could help her find her next fix. Tell Rose Hathaway that as well. I am no one of importance. Now turn, and walk away."

Belikov nodded and went back to his table and I quickly went back upstairs and to my hotel room. That was when I realized I'd left my key inside. I went over to Adrian's door and started banging on it. As soon as he opened it, I pushed past him and went over to the window. I told myself not to freak out. The compulsion would work. Dimitri Belikov could never have suspected who I was. Adrian was saying something but I didn't hear him. We had to get out of here before they realized I was here. Hell, before they realized Adrian was here and he told them everything.

"Brooke. What happened? Are you okay?"

I looked at him questioningly. "Why the hell do you care if I'm okay? I'm using you as bait and essentially holding you hostage."

He smirked. "I wouldn't exactly call it a hostage situation. You aren't making demands from anyone but me."

"I need a cigarette." I said suddenly.

"Since when do you smoke?" Adrian said. But he got his cigarettes from the bedside table. Suddenly I noticed that he was shirtless. Now I really needed a cigarette.

"I always have. Socially or whatever. Just at parties." I snatched it from his hand and stole a single one from the box then tossed it back at him. I flipped the cigarette between my fingers, nervously. I opened the curtains and then the window. A warm breeze went through my hair and I calmed down a bit. I snapped my fingers and a flame erupted between them, I inhaled deeply on the cigarette and the flames went out. Exhaling smoke out the window I finally turned to Adrian.

He had a lighter in his hands and now didn't really know what to do with it. "So, are you going to tell me what happened or is the hostage not allowed to know the inner workings of their captor's mind?"

I rolled my eyes and took another drag. "I went down for food and there are two guardians downstairs."

"Ah." He said with eyebrows raised. "I could see why that would cause a recluse dhampir to lose her marbles and start banging down doors."

"Stop it, Adrian." I took another drag. "It means you have a choice to make."

He looked dumbfounded. "A choice?"

"You either sneak out with me or I compel you to forget the last month and you can leave with them."

He laughed. "You're just going to set your hostage free? What's the catch?"

"No catch. Not a hostage, remember? Bait. You are bait."

"Why would I stay with you then?" He said crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can guarantee you won't get killed." I took another drag. The cigarette was almost gone by now.

"You can guarantee that?" I nodded. He smirked. "Fine. Suppose that with your badass and unexplainable skills you could kill the strigoi before it actually killed me. Why would I do this for you?"

"Excellent question. What do you want from me, Lord Ivashkov?" I didn't mean for that to sound as suggestive as it did, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth I was blushing so I had to turn towards the window. My cigarette was finally gone and I threw the butt out the window. My face cooled and I turned back to him.

He looked thoughtful. Then after a few minutes he said, "I want you to do me a favor."

I was skeptical. "What do you want me to do?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet."

"So if you help me with this you just want me to do one unknown favor for you?"

"Yes." I was desperate, and he knew it.

I groaned. "Fine. But we need to get the hell out of here. Now." I looked out the window. "Can you jump?"

"Are you serious?" He said incredulously.

"Quite. It's two stories." He still looked at me like I was a maniac. "Listen there are two guardians down there who will recognize you in an instant. We can't go that way."

"We always have spirit. If we just mettle our faces they won't recognize us."

It was sound logic but there was always the problem of Adrian recognizing them and deciding to forget my whole plan. Could I trust him? Of course not. I couldn't trust anyone. But I didn't have much of a choice. It was looking like unless I pushed him out of this window, we'd do it his way.

I told Adrian to put a goddamn shirt on and walked through the joint door to my room, thankful that I didn't lock my side. My only hope was that Rose and Dimitri would be gone by the time we got down there, because I was certain that Adrian would ditch me for them in a heartbeat.

I picked up my dufflebag and walked back over to Adrian's room. "Ready?"

"Yes. Now it takes a large amount of spirit to completely change an individual's appearance and-"

I cut him off. "It's not a problem. I've got it taken care of." And I did, of course. I handed him a silver ring that matched one I'd already put on my finger.

He raised his eyebrows. "Is being married part of the charade now?"

"Oh shut up, asshole. Unless we tell them who we are, we will be two unrecognizable humans. They won't even remember us once we are out of their sight." Adrian slipped the ring on and nodded. This was all relying heavily on Adrian not screwing me over and I felt very uneasy about that. "Let's just get the hell out of here."

We went down the stairs as calmly as possible. It took every ounce of resistance I had not to race out of that bed and breakfast but that would increase suspicions. We decided to leave out the front door, which turned out to be a mistake.

Dimitri and Rose were standing in the lobby chatting with one another animatedly. I glanced over at Adrian and he recognized them instantly, but he kept walking towards the door. We exited the building and got in the car, with me on the driver's side this time. I reached for the keys and Adrian grabbed my hand. Startled, I looked up at him.

"You're shaking." He was right. I was visibly shaking all over and not from exertion of magic, I didn't understand why.

"Coffee." I murmured in answer. That was a lie, I hadn't drank any coffee and I think Adrian knew it too, but he let it go.

"So where to now?" I grabbed the keys with my still shaking hands and shrugged. I fumbled with putting them in the ignition and finally just gave up with a sigh. Adrian asked, "What's wrong?"

I finally met his gaze. "Why didn't you go with them? That was Dimitri Belikov and Rose Hathaway, people you know and who would have saved you."

Adrian laughed outright. "Call me crazy, but going to my ex-girlfriend and the guy she cheated on me with for help didn't seem ideal. Maybe I just don't want to be saved."

I looked at him steadily for a moment to see if he was lying, but he wasn't. I started the car and said, "You _are_ crazy."


End file.
